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Jose Mourinho will be appointed the new Chelsea manager within the next fortnight, Goal understands.

Real Madrid paved the way for Mourinho's return to Stamford Bridge by revealing on Monday night that the Portuguese will leave the Bernabeu at the end of the season by mutual consent.

Chelsea are now clear to formalise a contract with Mourinho that, as revealed by Goal, is believed to have been agreed in principle following a breakthrough in negotiations last month.

The Europa League champions could confirm Mourinho's appointment this week or wait until the Spanish league season finishes on June 1.

The Chelsea high command, led by Roman Abramovich, have been in talks with Mourinho’s camp for months about a sensational return for the man who led the club to two Premier League titles during his first spell in charge from 2004-2007.

Negotiations centred on how much control Mourinho would have in recruiting players and staff, as well as his place in a management structure where low-profile technical director Michael Emenalo holds the levers of power.

The 50-year-old’s messy exit from Real was confirmed on Monday when club president made it public in a press conference at the Bernabeu at 8pm.

Perez said that no compensation would be payable either by coach or club, amid reports that there was a €14 million release fee in Mourinho’s contract, which was due to expire in 2016.

Perez said: "No one has been sacked." He also said that he would have liked Mourinho to have continued but that the pressure at Real Madrid meant that the time had come to end the relationship.

"Sometimes the pressure here goes beyond the normal," he said. "And Mourinho has been here for three years: that makes him the longest-serving manager in the first division."

Perez called a meeting with Mourinho at the club's Valdebebas training ground on Monday morning during which the two agreed to bring an end to the manager’s contract after the final game of the season on 1 June. That decision was then ratified by the board in the afternoon before being made public in the evening.

Mourinho will take charge of Sunday’s clash at Real Sociedad and then end his troubled and chaotic three-year stint at home against Osasuna on June1.

Chelsea are expecting to unveil him at a Stamford Bridge press conference soon afterwards.